Train-despatching system.



PATENTED PEB. 5, 1907.

c. E. SCRIBNBR. TRAIN DBSPATGHING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULYQ. 1906.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE."-

CHARLEs E. SCRIBNER; OF JERICIIO, VERMONT, AssIGNOa To WESTERN 4ELECTRIC COMIa/tNr,- or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION O F ILLINOIS.

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Jericho, inthe county of Chittenden and 5 'State of Vermont, have 'invented a 'Certain new and useful Improvement in Train-De'4 spatching Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. i

My invention relates to signals forelectric means by which a signal at an outiying or signal station can be set froma principal or despatchers station and the position of said signal be automatically and accurately indicatdfby test-signalszat' the principal station.

'l invention comprises a signal-circuit extending from a principal to an outlying station and having at the principal sta-tionl means for setting a signal at the outlying sired, and at the'same time'placing a 'testslgnal at the principal station under the coni trol of said signal at the outlying'station.

More s peclcally, my invention Contem- 25 plates a signal-Circuit having two alternative ranches at-the rinci al station-Q the closure of one or the ot er Qfwhich sets the signal at the outlying station at safety or danger position, res ectively, and at the same time 3o includes int e circuit a test-signalcontrolled the signal at the outlying4 station teautomatical said signal is set.

My invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanyinvr drawing,

which reipresents diagrammatically--the cir- 'ycuits an apparatus which I preferably elnploy in carrying out my invention.

- In the ldrawinghl v,represents the usual main supply-conductor, such as a trolleywire, extending from the princi al. station.

, to the outlying station B. Sai stations are` .also connected 'by' the signal-circuit conductor 2, branching at the principal station from the main supply-conductor. -The d'4 namo'D furnishes current to both of said conductors. f 1' At station A the conductor 2 is provided with two'alternative branches 2 L in the ,former of which is ajhigh-resistance signallamp H and in the latter a low-resistance signal-lamp L. A switch C is adapted to.-

close the l circuit through either branch 2 012", ':j' l* Specification of Letters Ptgnt.

Application iiled II'uly 9, 1906. Seriai No. 325.221.

tactm but when the magnet M attractsi railways; and its objectis to provide simple mature' s, thusy swinging station at safety or danger position, as deL y indicate the position. at which" TRAIN-DESPA-rcmn SYSTEM.'

Patented Feb. 5,

At stationB lthe conductor 2 includes aa55 magnet M and vextends through resistance R -f to ground. 'A magnet-M is included in an. branch 3, 'leading'fromthe main' conductor-rl 1 ,1, YThis branch is normally open at con:

varmature m said Contact is closed to grOu'ndf-'i through said armatureand the yconductor 4. j When the branch circut'is thus-closed, the magnet M is energized and attracts its arup the semaphore- ,o5 arm S and setting a anger-signal at `the stationB.' y

a A normally closed short circuit of, resistance R comprises condnctor's 5 and 5, sema-` phore-arm LS, and grounded -co'nductor 6, 7osaid shortcircuit being opened'at Contact s2 whenl the semaphore-arm is swung up.- A second fshort circuit ofl resistance R Vconiprise'sconductors 5 and 7 ,armature m, gndl conductor 4.' This latter short i's"75 openat Contact m2, except when the armature m of relay M is in its attracted position. It is normally closed at contact s3 by switcharm s', said switch-arm being operated by the semaphore-arm S to open the vshort cir-4 8o cuit at s3 when the semaphore-arm is swung up toits, extreme or danger position. The various parts are shown in the drawing in the position at Whichthe signal of the outlying station is set'at safety When 85 the switch C is in the position shown, closing 4the signal-circuit through branch 2a, the 'high' resistance of lamp H does not permit enough 'current to ow to cause relay M to attract its armature fm..l vThe circuit including mag- 9o `net M being open at contact "m, the sema- -phore-arinS remains down, thus displaying Y a safety-signal in the. usual manner. In this "position ofthe semaphore-arm a short circuit `of'lesistance R is closed through' conductors ,9 5

-5-5, semaphore-arm S, and conductor 6, as above described. With the resistance R" sll'ort-circuited enough current flows over the al circuit to brightly illuminate lampslnthus indicating at station A that the si nal at station B is at'safety position,

t us suppose the operator at-station Av desire's'to set the danger-signal at station B. He moves the switch C so asto close the cirf- .cuit through, branch '2b. A low-res1stance circuit isthus closed from the main conduc-y tor 1, through thelow-resistancelamp L,` magnet M, to ground through the short c ir-.

cuit of resistance R comprising conductors- 5153, semaphore-arm S, .and conductor 6. The magnet M attracts its armature m, thereby closinr contacts m. circuit 3, including magnet M', is thus closed to ground, and said magnet attracts its arma'- ture s and swings u the semaphore-arm to danger position. yT e armature m in its at; v

v tracted position also closes contact m2 in conductor fleading from conductor 4 to conducl`'tor 5 and including .the normally closed switch .c lils., iIt is apparent, therefore, that although 'the short circuit about resistance R through the semaphore-arm is broken at contact s2 as soon as the semaphore-arm S is raised said resistance is nevertheless still short-circuited through conductors 5, 7, and 4 as long as switch s is closed. The opening of said opening contact s3.

switch s is dependent upon the semaphorearm being held in its extreme upward or danger position, thereby raising switch s and When the semaphore is set' at danger position, both short circuits about resistance R are open, and the signalcircuit is closed only through resistance R. As long as said'resistance is Short-circuited the lam L receives enough` current to brightly illuminate it, thereby indicating thew signal at the outlying station is still at safety position. When the signal-circuit is closed 4 only through resistance R, the lamp L receives current merely sufficient to produce a.

dull glow,v and thus indicates that the signal at B is set at dangerposition.

lf when the danger-signal at Bis displayed it is desired to set the safety-signal instead,

1 the switch C is moved so, as to include branch 2a in the signal-circuit. As before stated, when the switch C is in this latter position the magnet M does not receive enough current t'o attract its armature m, and said ari mature falls back, opening the circuit of the magnet M at contact m. The consequent denergiz'ation of magnet M releases: the semaphore-arm S and permits the same to fall back to-safety position; The closingoi 'I the short circuit about resistance R at conat A that the signal at Bl is stillset at danger position.

alternative' ositions the switch C is ,the lam vIt will be observed that in whichever of its Y A .laced "or L, respectively, will# j y its .bright-.i1 umiliati@ .or as dull glow-indigne ,that a safety-signal or a dangersignal,"relspectivelvbas beenset at station B.

VHaving described my invention, I' claim- 1. ln asignaling system, the combination y with an electromagnetically-operated signal, of an electric circuit for controlling the operation of said signal, means for varying the electrical condition of said circuit to set said signal, a test-signal lamp controlled by said circuit, and means automatically controlled by said-,iirst-named signal, for varying the electrical condition of the circuit to control the illumination ofsaid lamp.

2. In a 'signaling system for electric, railways, the combination `with a main supply-l conductor extending between a principal and an outlying station, of abranch'thereot` at theV outlying station, an electromagneticallyoperatedsignal in said branch, a signal-circuit conductor extending Abetween said stations and receiving current from the main conductor, means in said signal-circuit, operable from the principal station, for controlling said branch circuit and thereby setting said signal, means, actuated by the setting of said signal, for varying the electrical 'condition of the signal-circuit, anda test-signal at the principal station responsive to said varying electrical condition of the signal-circuit to indicate the signal displayed at the outlying station.

3. In a signaling system, the combination with an electromagnctically-operated signal,

otan electric circuit for controlling the operation of said signal,l said circuit having alternative branches, the closure of oneof which sets the signal for one indication, and the closure of the'other sets the signal for an op'- posite indication, a test-signal in said circuit, and means automatically cont-rolled vby said first-named signal for varying the electrical condition of the circuit to control the indication ofsaid test-signal.

4. In a signaling system, the combination with an electromagnetically-operated signal, of an electric circuit for controlling the operation of said signal, said circuit having alternative'branches, the closure of one of which sets the sig-nal for one indication and the closure of the other'sets the signal for an opposite indication, a test-signal in each of said branches, and- .means automatically ,cntrolled by said first-named signal for varying the electrical condition of thez circuit to oorrespondingly display the. test-signal in the closed branch of said circuit. 5. In a signaling system for electric rail.-

lWays, the combination with a main supply.

conductor, of a signal-circuit conductor rebranch of lsaid main conductor at said outly.-

ing station controlled by.saidsignal-'circuit,

I oo

Aceiving current therefrom and' extending fromya principal to an outlying station, a

an 'electromagnet in said' branchvcirclit, a semaphore controlled by -said magnet, means at the principal station for varying the electrical condition of said signal-circuit to control said branch circuit and thereby to control the operation of' said semaphore, means actuated by said semaphore for varying the4 semaphore to in dicate the position at which said semaphore is set.

6. In aosignaling system for Ielectric railways, the combination with a main supplyeoiductor, of a signal-circuit conductor receiving current therefrom and extending,r from a Aprincipal to an outlying staton, a branch of said main conductor at said outlying station controlled by said signal-circuit, an electromagnet in said branch circuit, a semaphore controlled by said magnet, means at the principal station Afor varying the electrical condition .of said signal-circuit to control sai'd branch circuit and thereby to con-.

trol the operation of said semaphore, a resistance in said signal-circuit at the outlying station, means, actuated by the semaphoresignal in one oi`- its positions, to short-circuit said resistance, and a test-signal at the principal station responsive to the increased current, when said resistance is sliort-cireuited, to give a corresponding signal.

7. In a signalingr system lor electric railways, the combination with a main supplyconductor extending between a principal and an outlying station, oi a. lorantl't.y thereof at lthe outlying station, an eleetrbmagnet included in said branch, a semaphore controlled by said magnet, a signalecircuit conductor extending between said stations and receiving current from the mai-n conductor, said signal-circuit having alternative branches at the principal station', the closure oi' one of which operates said electromagnet to set the semaphore at one indication'and the closure of the other to set the semaphore at an opposite indication, a test signal in each of said branches, a resistance in said signal-circuit at the outlying station, and means, actuated by the semaphore-signal in one of its positions, to short-circuit said resistanee,said test-signals being responsive to the resulting increased current to indicate the position at which the semaphore has beenV set.

In witness whereof @l hereunto subscribe iny name this oth day of July, A. 1906.

(HAR'L *JS E. SCRIBNER.A

W'i tiiesses:

.lor '.l. -ALLOWAY, C. A. COGGIN. 

